I don't buy that CK performed well tonight against a defense that played poorly.
The Bears D got outplayed by a 2nd year QB, they aren't a bad defense.
True they may not have gameplanned to stop CK specifically but Kaepernick deserves all his kudos for how he performed tonight.

I doubt Alex Smith leads the 49ers to a 32-7 win over Chicago.

All CK needs is playing time. I wonder if Harbaugh gives it to him this season??

Ehhh...we've seen this story before. Which is why I wouldn't get too excited. I think I already brought up the Tim Rattay example earlier years ago when he looked like an All-Pro filling in for the injured Jeff Garcia at the time and lit up the Rams who went 12-4 that season...and then played great the following game on a Monday night against the Steelers. Of course he eventually fell back down to Earth. Who knows how Kaepnerick does against New Orleans in a loud and packed Super Dome.

Didn't Chad Henne light up the Texans last week against a defense that I believe was ranked in the top three against the pass?

Maybe Kaepernick is the future, maybe he isn't. I don't think Smith has done enough to lose his job yet (He's actually played well in his last couple of starts) and at least deserves another shot this season to try and get the 49ers to the big show.

49ers were a huge pile of crap for years and usually the QB gets most of the blame. But looking back you might be surprised how little Smith played.

In 2011 things turn around but fall short and Smith has the stench of the past and is the real loser that messed things up.

2012 completion% is 70% and 1.5 better than anyone.

But he has the problem of ups and down during the year, same as all QBs. The good times are dismissed mostly as some good luck and bad teams. The bad is a sigh of a TRUE FACT. Alex Smith isn't a real NFL starter.

We've had 2 or 3 guys on the roster before that were hoped as answers. Shaun Hill, Troy Smith, Nate Davis.
And there have been about 10 guys the 49ers should of signed/traded/drafted that would of solved the QB problem.

This game is like a movie trailer for Kaepernick.

You do not start guys with no experience at QB unless you have to.

The real issue with the team has been the other Smith's not getting it done.
Other than the Cardinals late in that game and tonight the Sacks from those 2 magical elves have been empty.

Ponder wasn't touched even when he was running on the other side of the LOS. Loss.
Eli was hit 1 time. Loss.
Bradford must of gotten sacked on the 2 plays Amendola was catching his breath. 2 Punt Passes. Fumbles all over. Just ugly. Lucky to get a tie.

Mike Trout happened so unlikely things are possible but extrapolating small samples and you are more likely to get things like 'Eli is better than Peyton' 'Michael Vick is the new prototype not Peyton' 'Maybe Philip Rivers isn't that much of a douche' you know really crazy stuff.

I don't think it's crazy to assume CK is a better QB than Alex Smith and a more viable long term solution for the 49ers going forward.
Yes Alex Smith has had to overcome adversity throughout his career that wasn't always his own doing, but he's also had too many moments where he simply did not look like a very good NFL QB.

Smith was chosen 1/1 overall and taken ahead of Aaron Rodgers.

If he's not a total bust, he has failed to live up to the lofty expectations held for him no matter how competent he's looked under Harbaugh.

Maybe he won't be replaced this year, but the offseason should be interesting.

Kaepernick had a great game yesterday for sure, however the Bears defense just had a horrible gameplan. They basically said he run game isn't going to beat us and cover 1 man with 8 in the box. The Bears are a fantastic zone defense. Major Wright was so bad last night it was ridiculous. Tim Jennings isn't a man coverage guy either and it isn't Peanut's strength. CK took his opportunities but a lot of his throws were no tough throws. He threw a lot of slants where he checked out of running plays based on coverages. He made a nice throw to Davis in the first where he showed some nice touch to drop it over Briggs and threw a picture perfect deep one to Williams. He also showed some nice poise on the Crabtree TD but the Bears didn't give themselves a chance.

Let's cool some of the talk for now and see how he does going forward when teams can prepare for him and know his tendancies. He has it all physically, however when teams try to stop him let's see if he can still deliver

I doubt the 49ers actually start Kaepernick the rest of the year. I expect Smith to start the next year or two before Kaepernick gets a chance. That said, I do think Kaepernick is the QB of the future in SF and I have high expectations for his production. SF is a really good fit for him and he has a ton of talent.

Alex Smith has become expendable. They're not going to pay him $7.5 million next season to sit on the bench. Colin Kaepernick should be the starting quarterback. If he keeps this play up, then nobody can beat the 49ers. They're too talented.

Alex Smith has become expendable. They're not going to pay him $7.5 million next season to sit on the bench. Colin Kaepernick should be the starting quarterback. If he keeps this play up, then nobody can beat the 49ers. They're too talented.

But that's the thing, how can we be sure he will. The Bears didn't know who they would be facing and there is at very best limited film of Kaepernick, all of which is mainly him running. He has a strong arm and nice accuracy so playing off man coverage on the WRs won't work as he will make you pay. However, how will he play when the 49ers get behind in a game and teams play 2 deep shell, or cover 3, 4 under?

I liked kaepernick a lot coming out but knew he needed to be in the right situation before seeing the field. Well he landed in a perfect spot. I thought he can take the job away from smith in 2013.

While this performance was very good, I think starting a thread based on 1 start is a little too much. As much as I like kaepernick and his potential you got to figure in the bears had no film on him. You have to see how he adjust to different schemes before anointing him nfl starter worthy.

But I do like him and think he'll be a good one but I've been wrong before.

CK will not become a successful starting QB in this league. His best strength is as a running QB. Who cares about that? I heard the original poster call his accuracy "great". That's a lie. I hated his value on draft day and I still hate it today. SF fans are so anxious to find someone better than Alex Smith, it ain't even funny. SF has an awesome OL, an awesome running game and an awesome defense. Without that, CK would look like the puke that he is.

SF is one of the few teams in this league, if not the only one where they can make their QB look better than he really is.

CK will not become a successful starting QB in this league. His best strength is as a running QB. Who cares about that? I heard the original poster call his accuracy "great". That's a lie. I hated his value on draft day and I still hate it today. SF fans are so anxious to find someone better than Alex Smith, it ain't even funny. SF has an awesome OL, an awesome running game and an awesome defense. Without that, CK would look like the puke that he is.

SF is one of the few teams in this league, if not the only one where they can make their QB look better than he really is.

What was most impressive to me about his debut is that he hardly ran the ball at all which I would have never guessed. He beat that defense with his arm, in the pocket, and he looked far more natural as a QB then I figured due to all the wildcat packages he's in. I certainly don't think we should expect these types of performances on the regular, but I sense a ton of bias in your post so not sure how serious I should take you when you call him "puke".

In fact if anything he's proved that the pick wasn't terrible value. But fully agree with the second point. Look at the room he has to throw, the pocket he has to step up into, the defense to rely on, the running game which keeps defenses honest. That's an absolutely marvelous situation for any QB to play in and probably does make whatever QB look that much better.

That also doesn't mean because they have those things that they are incapable of finding a good QB, or that it somehow makes whatever QB they use less talented.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Wright

I guarantee that if someone picks Cam Newton in the Top 5 they will regret it.

What was most impressive to me about his debut is that he hardly ran the ball at all which I would have never guessed. He beat that defense with his arm, in the pocket, and he looked far more natural as a QB then I figured due to all the wildcat packages he's in. I certainly don't think we should expect these types of performances on the regular, but I sense a ton of bias in your post so not sure how serious I should take you when you call him "puke".

In fact if anything he's proved that the pick wasn't terrible value. But fully agree with the second point. Look at the room he has to throw, the pocket he has to step up into, the defense to rely on, the running game which keeps defenses honest. That's an absolutely marvelous situation for any QB to play in and probably does make whatever QB look that much better.

That also doesn't mean because they have those things that they are incapable of finding a good QB, or that it somehow makes whatever QB they use less talented.

Credit should go to Harbaugh if CK succeeds in this league as a passer because all he got was a lump of clay on draft day.

Credit should go to Harbaugh if CK succeeds in this league as a passer because all he got was a lump of clay on draft day.

Well yea, I thought that as pretty obvious that he was extremely raw and his coaching would rely on his success. But yea, I'd classify him as a lump of clay if we ignored all of his physical tools that he has. Let's be honest, he isn't the first big time athlete at QB with raw passing skills to be drafted early, those guys go in the 1st round all the time, Pat White went in the second which was laughable.

He could very easily turn into a flash in the pan(I believe Troy Smith had a great first career start) but let's not diminish his skillset that he had to work with coming out. But definately, without the proper coaching, and team to develop him, I said well before he was drafted that the chances of him panning out into a starter were extremely low.

__________________

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scott Wright

I guarantee that if someone picks Cam Newton in the Top 5 they will regret it.

Well yea, I thought that as pretty obvious that he was extremely raw and his coaching would rely on his success. But yea, I'd classify him as a lump of clay if we ignored all of his physical tools that he has. Let's be honest, he isn't the first big time athlete at QB with raw passing skills to be drafted early, those guys go in the 1st round all the time, Pat White went in the second which was laughable.

He could very easily turn into a flash in the pan(I believe Troy Smith had a great first career start) but let's not diminish his skillset that he had to work with coming out. But definately, without the proper coaching, and team to develop him, I said well before he was drafted that the chances of him panning out into a starter were extremely low.

The 49ers should trade for Tony Romo. Harbaugh would turn him into a HOF QB and win 3 SBs.